High no starts, scanty turnout in athletics leave poor taste at KIUG

KHELO India University Games (KIUG) is turning out to be a mockery in athletics and weightlifting.

- INDRANEEL DAS @ Chennai

Keerthana (C) won the 100m gold

In the two of the four days of athletics so far, there were at least a couple of events in which just one player participated. Given this low turnout, there is something serious about a programme the Sports Authority of India (SAI) and the sports ministry started as their flagship programme for encouraging participation of youth.

Timing of the competitions have been shocking at times.

The latest edition of KIUG, which is being conducted across seven cities in Rajasthan, is on when most of the sports go into off-season. Athletics is one such sport that is already in off-season mode. The healthy presence of National Anti-Doping Agency officials has compounded matters. Athletics is one of the most tainted sports followed by weightlifting. Going by the result sheets published online, athletes participating in both disciplines have gone incognito after entering names.